{"id":"court_ctb_472_0","court":"CTB","case_no":"22-50073","doc_number":472,"sub_number":0,"doc_type":"ORDER","filed_date":null,"title":"UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT DIVISION In re:","summary_zh":null,"summary_en":null,"body_en":"## **UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT DIVISION**\n\nIn re:\n\nChapter 11 Case No.\n\nHO WAN KWOK<sup>1</sup>\n\n22-50073 (JAM)\n\nJune 18, 2022\n\nDebtor.\n\n# **MOTION OF PACIFIC ALLIANCE ASIA OPPORTUNITY FUND L.P. FOR (A) EXTENSION OF TIME TO FILE COMPLAINTS TO DETERMINE THE DISCHARGEABILITY OF A DEBT OR, (B) IN THE ALTERNATIVE, JOINDER TO THE MOTION OF THE OFFICIAL COMMITTEE OF UNSECURED CREDITORS TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE TO FILE COMPLAINTS TO DETERMINE THE DISCHARGEABILITY OF A DEBT PURSUANT TO FED. R. BANKR. P. 4007(c)**\n\nPacific Alliance Asia Opportunity Fund L.P. (\"PAX\") hereby moves (this \"Motion\"), pursuant to Rule 4007(c) of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (\"Bankruptcy Rules\") for (A) a 30-day extension of the time to file complaints to determine the dischargeability of debts pursuant to section 523(c) of title 11 of the United States Code (the \"Bankruptcy Code\") or, (B) in the alternative, joins the *Motion of the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors to Extend the Deadline to File Complaints to Determine the Dischargeability of a Debt Pursuant to Fed. R. Bankr. P. 4007(c)* (\"Committee's Extension Motion\") [ECF 469] filed by the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (the \"Committee\") for the reasons set forth therein.<sup>2</sup> In support of this Motion, PAX respectfully states as follows:\n\n<sup>1</sup> The last four digits of the Debtor's taxpayer identification number are 9595.\n\n<sup>2</sup> Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Committee's Extension Motion.\n\n#### **RELEVANT PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND**\n\n1. On February 15, 2022 (the \"Petition Date\"), Miles Kwok filed a voluntary petition for relief under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.\n\n2. On March 19, 2022, the Office of the United States Trustee (\"UST\") filed its *Motion for an Order Directing the Appointment of an Examiner, or in the Alternative, Motion for Order Directing the Appointment of a Chapter 11 Trustee* (the \"Examiner Motion\") [ECF 102].\n\n3. On March 21, 2022, the UST appointed the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, which moved to retain Pullman & Comley, LLC as its counsel on April 5, 2022 [ECF 108].\n\n4. On April 6, 2022, PAX filed its *Motion to Dismiss Chapter 11 Case or, in the Alternative, Partial Joinder to United States Trustee's Motion for an Order Directing the Appointment of a Chapter 11 Trustee* (the \"Motion to Dismiss\") [ECF 183].\n\n5. The Court issued a scheduling order (a) requiring oppositions to the Motion to Dismiss be filed by May 11, 2022, and (b) scheduling an evidentiary hearing (the \"MTD Hearing\") for May 25, 2022 [ECF 274].\n\n6. On May 11, the Debtor filed a consent to dismissal of the chapter 11 case [ECF 344]. Also on May 11, the Committee filed its objection to dismissal [ECF 346].\n\n7. On May 18, the Court entered the order granting the *Joint Stipulation to Extend the Deadline to File Complaint to Determine the Dischargeability of a Debt* (the \"Stipulated Extension Order\") [ECF 386] which extended the deadline for causes of action under section 523 of the Bankruptcy Code from May 20, 2022 through and including June 20, 2022 in light of the pending Motion to Dismiss.\n\n8. Following the MTD Hearing held on May 25, 2022, the Court on June 15, 2022 issued the *Memorandum of Decision and Order Denying Motion to Dismiss without Prejudice and Granting Joinder to Motion for Appointment of Chapter 11 Trustee* [ECF 465].\n\n#### **RELIEF REQUESTED**\n\n9. PAX requests an extension of the Dischargeability Deadline for thirty days, through and including July 20, 2022, pursuant to Rule 4007(c) of the Bankruptcy Rules.\n\n#### **BASIS FOR RELIEF REQUESTED**\n\n10. Bankruptcy Rule 4007(c) provides that \"[o]n motion of a party in interest, after notice and a hearing, the court may for cause extend the time fixed under this subdivision. The motion shall be filed before the time has expired.\" However, the Court need not grant the extension before the time expires. *In re McCormack*, 244 B.R. 203, 208 (Bankr. D. Conn. 2000).\n\n11. Pursuant to the Stipulated Extension Order, the Dischargeability Deadline expires on June 20, 2022, \"without prejudice to the Committee or any Creditor to seek a further extension for cause shown.\" Stipulated Extension Order ¶ 1.\n\n12. PAX is a \"party in interest\" within the meaning of section 1109(b) of the Bankruptcy Code because it is \"a creditor\" of the Debtor.\n\n13. Whether to grant an extension of time under Bankruptcy Rule 4007(c) is within the bankruptcy court's discretion. *Small v. Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven, Inc.*, 589 B.R. 31, 36 (D. Conn. 2018). The court will consider multiple factors, including \"(1) whether the creditor has received sufficient notice of the deadline and information to file an objection; (2) the complexity of the case; (3) whether the creditor has exercised diligence; (4) whether the debtor has refused in bad faith to cooperate with the creditor; and (5) the possibility that proceedings pending in another forum will result in collateral estoppel of the relevant issues.\" *Id.* (citing *In re*\n\n*Kramer*, 492 B.R. 366, 371 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. 2013)). The lack of prefiling discovery, and a preference for deciding cases on the merits, are also factors that would justify an extension. *See McCormack*, 244 B.R. at 208.\n\n14. PAX requests the same thirty-day extension requested by the Committee in its Extension Motion and submits that, beyond its inclusion in the plain meaning of the Extension Motion's application to \"creditors\" generally, cause exists specifically for PAX. PAX holds the single largest claim in this case and has played a key role throughout the proceedings before this Court, including filing the Motion to Dismiss and pursuing discovery to identify the true extent of the Debtor's estate.\n\n15. As noted in the Committee's Extension Motion, the Court's order denying the Motion to Dismiss and the deadline set in the Stipulated Extension Order are separated by a mere three business days. The issues presented by PAX's extensive history with the Debtor are voluminous and complex; three days to finalize a dischargeability complaint for filing before this Court will compromise the ability of the parties to best present and address the issues. Because PAX's requested extension of time will enable the parties and the Court to more efficiently and adequately address the serious concerns surrounding dischargeability, \"cause\" exists to grant such an extension.\n\n16. Further, as set forth in more detail in the Motion to Dismiss, the underlying New York litigation that forms the basis for PAX's claim includes findings implicating, at a minimum, false pretenses and false representations within the meaning of section 523(a)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code. Thus, the record in this case and the plain language of the statute indicate the feasibility of a nondischargeability filing by PAX.\n\nWHEREFORE, PAX respectfully requests the Court grant an additional extension of time of 30 days, until July 20, 2022, for PAX to file dischargeability complaints, and such other or further relief as the Court may deem just and proper.\n\nDated: June 18, 2022 New York, New York\n\n## **Pacific Alliance Asia Opportunity Fund L.P.**\n\n*By: /s/ Patrick M. Birney*  Patrick M. Birney (CT No. 19875) Annecca H. Smith (CT No. 31148) **ROBINSON & COLE LLP**  280 Trumbull Street Hartford, CT 06103 Telephone: (860) 275-8275 Facsimile: (860) 275-8299 E-mail: pbirney@rc.com asmith@rc.com\n\n-and-\n\nPeter Friedman (admitted *pro hac vice*) Stuart M. Sarnoff (admitted *pro hac vice*) **O'MELVENY & MYERS LLP**  Seven Times Square New York, NY 10036 Telephone: (212) 326-2000 Facsimile: (212) 326-2061 Email: pfriedman@omm.com ssarnoff@omm.com\n\n### **CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE**\n\nI hereby certify that on June 18 2022, a copy of the foregoing was filed electronically through the Court's CM/ECF System. Notice of this filing will be sent by e-mail to all parties receiving notice by operation of the court's electronic filing system. Parties in interest may access this filing through the Court's CM/ECF System.\n\n /s/ *Patrick M. Birney*  Patrick M. Birney","body_zh":"UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT DIVISION（美国康涅狄格区破产法院布里奇波特分院）\n\n案件：\n\n第11章 案件编号：\n\nHO WAN KWOK（郭文贵）1\n\n22-50073 (JAM)\n\n2022年6月18日\n\n债务人。\n\nPACIFIC ALLIANCE ASIA OPPORTUNITY FUND L.P. 请求 (A) 延长提起确定债务可免责性诉状之期限，或 (B) 择一参加无担保债权人官方委员会根据《联邦破产诉讼程序规则》第 4007(c) 条请求延长提起确定债务可免责性诉状截止期限之动议的动议\n\nPacific Alliance Asia Opportunity Fund L.P.（太盟亚洲机会基金有限公司，简称“PAX”）特此根据《Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure（联邦破产诉讼程序规则）》（简称“《破产规则》”）第 4007(c) 条提出动议（本“动议”），请求 (A) 将根据《United States Code（美国法典）》第 11 编（简称“《破产法典》”）第 523(c) 条提起确定债务可免责性诉状的期限延长 30 天，或 (B) 择一基于 Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors（无担保债权人官方委员会，简称“委员会”）所提出的《Motion of the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors to Extend the Deadline to File Complaints to Determine the Dischargeability of a Debt Pursuant to Fed. R. Bankr. P. 4007(c)（无担保债权人官方委员会根据<联邦破产诉讼程序规则>第 4007(c) 条请求延长提起确定债务可免责性诉状截止期限的动议）》（简称“《委员会延期动议》”）[ECF 469] 中阐述的理由，参加该动议。2 为支持本动议，PAX 谨陈述如下：\n\n1 债务人纳税人识别号的后四位数字为 9595。\n\n2 本文中使用但未予定义的首字母大写术语，应具有《委员会延期动议》中赋予它们的含义。\n\n相关程序背景\n\n1. 2022年2月15日（“申请日”），Miles Kwok（郭文贵）根据《破产法典》第 11 章提交了自愿救济申请。\n\n2. 2022年3月19日，Office of the United States Trustee（美国破产受托人办公室，简称“UST”）提交了其《Motion for an Order Directing the Appointment of an Examiner, or in the Alternative, Motion for Order Directing the Appointment of a Chapter 11 Trustee（请求下达指令任命审查员命令的动议，或择一下达指令任命第11章受托人命令的动议）》（简称“《审查员动议》”）[ECF 102]。\n\n3. 2022年3月21日，UST 任命了无担保债权人官方委员会，该委员会于 2022年4月5日提出动议聘请 Pullman & Comley, LLC 作为其法律顾问 [ECF 108]。\n\n4. 2022年4月6日，PAX 提交了其《Motion to Dismiss Chapter 11 Case or, in the Alternative, Partial Joinder to United States Trustee's Motion for an Order Directing the Appointment of a Chapter 11 Trustee（驳回第11章案件的动议，或择一部分参加美国破产受托人请求下达指令任命第11章受托人命令的动议）》（简称“《驳回动议》”）[ECF 183]。\n\n5. 法院签发了一份日程安排命令，(a) 要求在 2022年5月11日 之前提交对《驳回动议》的反对意见，以及 (b) 将证据听证会（“驳回动议听证会”）定于 2022年5月25日 举行 [ECF 274]。\n\n6. 5月11日，债务人提交了同意驳回第 11 章案件的文件 [ECF 344]。同在 5月11日，委员会提交了对驳回的异议 [ECF 346]。\n\n7. 5月18日，鉴于待决的《驳回动议》，法院作出了批准《延长提起确定债务可免责性诉状截止期限联合约定》（简称“《约定延期命令》”）[ECF 386] 的命令，将根据《破产法典》第 523 条提起诉由的截止期限从 2022年5月20日 延长至 2022年6月20日（含当日）。\n\n8. 继 2022年5月25日 举行的驳回动议听证会之后，法院于 2022年6月15日 作出了《Memorandum of Decision and Order Denying Motion to Dismiss without Prejudice and Granting Joinder to Motion for Appointment of Chapter 11 Trustee（无偏见驳回“驳回动议”并批准参加“任命第11章受托人动议”的裁定备忘录及命令）》[ECF 465]。\n\n所请求的救济\n\n9. PAX 根据《破产规则》第 4007(c) 条，请求将可免责性截止期限延长三十天，至 2022年7月20日（含当日）。\n\n所请求救济的依据\n\n10. 《破产规则》第 4007(c) 条规定：“经利害关系方提出动议，在发出通知并举行听证后，法院可因正当理由延长本款所规定的期限。该动议应在期限届满前提交。”然而，法院无需在期限届满前作出准予延期的裁定。参见 In re McCormack, 244 B.R. 203, 208 (Bankr. D. Conn. 2000)。\n\n11. 根据《约定延期命令》，可免责性截止期限于 2022年6月20日 届满，“且不妨碍委员会或任何债权人在表明正当理由的情况下寻求进一步延期”。《约定延期命令》第 1 段。\n\n12. PAX 是《破产法典》第 1109(b) 条含义内的“利害关系方”，因为它是债务人的“债权人”。\n\n13. 是否根据《破产规则》第 4007(c) 条准予延期属于破产法院的裁量权范围。Small v. Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven, Inc., 589 B.R. 31, 36 (D. Conn. 2018)。法院将考虑多项因素，包括：“(1) 债权人是否已收到有关截止期限的充分通知以及提出异议所需的信息；(2) 案件的复杂程度；(3) 债权人是否尽职尽责；(4) 债务人是否存在恶意拒绝与债权人合作的情形；以及 (5) 在另一法庭待决的诉讼程序是否会对相关争议产生争点排除效力。”同上（引用 In re Kramer, 492 B.R. 366, 371 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. 2013)）。缺乏起诉前证据开示以及倾向于就实体问题作出判决，也是支持延期的合理因素。参见 McCormack, 244 B.R. at 208。\n\n14. PAX 请求获得与委员会在其延期动议中请求的相同的三十天延期，并认为，除了包含在延期动议一般适用于“债权人”的字面含义之内以外，正当理由也特别适用于 PAX。PAX 持有本案中最大的一笔单一债权，并在本法院的整个诉讼过程中发挥了关键作用，包括提交《驳回动议》以及开展证据开示以查明债务人破产财产的真实范围。\n\n15. 正如《委员会延期动议》中所指出的，法院驳回《驳回动议》的命令与《约定延期命令》中设定的截止期限之间仅仅相隔三个工作日。PAX 与债务人之间长期纠葛所呈现的问题繁多且复杂；要在三天时间内定稿一份可免责性诉状以提交给本法院，将损害各方充分陈述和处理相关问题的能力。由于 PAX 请求的延期将使各方及法院能够更有效且充分地处理围绕可免责性的严重关切，因此准予此类延期的“正当理由”成立。\n\n16. 此外，正如在《驳回动议》中更详细阐述的那样，构成 PAX 债权基础的纽约州标的诉讼包含至少涉及《破产法典》第 523(a)(2) 条含义内的虚假托辞和虚假陈述的认定。因此，本案的案卷记录和法条的明文规定表明了 PAX 提出不可免责性起诉的可行性。\n\n为此，PAX 谨请求法院额外准予延期 30 天，直至 2022年7月20日，以便 PAX 提交可免责性诉状，并给予法院认为公正和适当的其他或进一步救济。\n\n日期：2022年6月18日 纽约州纽约市\nPacific Alliance Asia Opportunity Fund L.P.\n\n签署人：/s/ Patrick M. Birney Patrick M. Birney (CT No. 19875) Annecca H. Smith (CT No. 31148) ROBINSON & COLE LLP 280 Trumbull Street Hartford, CT 06103 电话：(860) 275-8275 传真：(860) 275-8299 电子邮件：pbirney@rc.com asmith@rc.com\n\n—以及—\n\nPeter Friedman（获准特许出庭代理）Stuart M. Sarnoff（获准特许出庭代理）O'MELVENY & MYERS LLP Seven Times Square New York, NY 10036 电话：(212) 326-2000 传真：(212) 326-2061 电子邮件：pfriedman@omm.com ssarnoff@omm.com\n\n送达证书\n\n本人特此证明，于 2022年6月18日，上述文件的副本已通过法院的 CM/ECF 系统以电子方式提交。本提交通知将通过电子邮件发送给通过法院电子提交系统运行接收通知的所有当事方。利害关系方可通过法院的 CM/ECF 系统查阅本文件。\n\n/s/ Patrick M. Birney Patrick M. Birney","key_entities":["Kwok","Je","Ho Wan Kwok"],"ecf_references":[{"doc_number":102,"court":"CTB"},{"doc_number":108,"court":"CTB"},{"doc_number":183,"court":"CTB"},{"doc_number":274,"court":"CTB"},{"doc_number":344,"court":"CTB"},{"doc_number":346,"court":"CTB"},{"doc_number":386,"court":"CTB"},{"doc_number":465,"court":"CTB"},{"doc_number":469,"court":"CTB"}],"word_count":1303,"status":"published","published_at":null,"created_at":null,"updated_at":"2026-08-23 12:48:31"}